Arizona OKs first medical marijuana dispensary

Medical marijuana is packaged for sale in 1-gram packages at the Northwest Patient Resource Center medical marijuana dispensary, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Seattle. After voters weighed in on election day, Colorado and Washington became the first states to allow possession of up to 1 oz. of legal pot for recreational use, but they are likely to face resistance from federal regulations. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

State health regulators have issued their first approval for a medical marijuana dispensary, but a lawyer for the operator says the facility won’t open right away.

Director of Health Services Will Humble says a dispensary applicant in Glendale received the approval late Thursday after passing an inspection without any major deficiencies.

The medical marijuana law doesn’t permit the state to identify the location, but attorney Ryan Hurley represents the operator.

Hurley says Arizona Organix still has some work to do and doesn’t plan to open its dispensary before Thanksgiving.

Once it opens, it means that medical marijuana card holders living within 25 miles of the facility will no longer be able to grow their own marijuana.